Monday, February 11, 2013

Hey everyone! Today I wanted to share with you a makeup tutorial that will be easy to integrate into your everyday makeup look to make it a little extra special for Valentine's Day. I know working with colors can be intimidating for a lot of people, but adding a pop of purple on just the lower lid can really add attention to the eyes while still looking casual-date appropriate. :)

Here you can see the basic neutral look on the upper lid. I used a soft pink matte shadow to bring out the center of the eyelids and contoured with a light "cut crease" matte brown. Instead of the traditional winged eyeliner, I used the dark purple shadow to softly smudge into the lash line for a softer effect.

The lower lash line is where the fun really comes with this look! Purple is a color that I recommend those hesitant to play with colors since it blends well with neutrals and is flattering on just about every skintone as long as it's not too red. The bright pop of violet on the lower lid creates an overall effect that is eye-catching but not too distracting from the rest of the face.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Just know that whether you are going on a date with your special someone or just chilling with your friends for "Singles Awareness Day" you can still have fun with your look, just for you. ;)

I'm actually running around in NYC for Fashion Week right now but Manicure Monday will be back soon! In the meantime, let me know in the comments what reviews or tutorials you'd like to see next!

I love this look! I never wear eye makeup, but on the off chance that I do this is my go-to look. And I always do it with purple because it really compliments brown eyes. I think it would be fun if you did a makeup tutorial without a mirror. I've seen several makeup gurus doing it and their videos are so fun to watch.

Love your blog, and the thoughtfulness behind every tutorial and entry. If you didn't get an email, Urban Decay is doing their Friends and Family sale right now, so I was browsing some products when I came across reviews stating that the item I was looking at (the brow box) has many kinds of parabens. And that led me on a search for what parabens are, why are they dangerous, and what other chemicals to look out for in cosmetics and toiletries, and frankly, I feel overwhelmed, especially since an item i use every day, the UD eye primer, contains 3 different kinds of parabens!

So I was wondering, as someone who is extremely knowledgable about many different kinds of makeup, what is your method of research for 'safe' products? do you have any brands that you prefer because they have less toxic chemicals.

Hi Julia! I know it can be overwhelming when researching cosmetics since there are a lot of hot issues like parabens, animal testing, sulfates, and even chemicals in nail polish that can be a huge concern with beauty-lovers. Choosing which topics to make your priority is an incredibly personal decision. I know everyone has their own method, but my tactic is to choose items based on performance and user reviews of each individual product. Since there are so many companies with so many products out there, I'm not particularly brand loyal to any one company but pick and choose which items and ingredients work best for me. I try to be ingredient-aware but not wholly avoiding products with parabens. If possible though, I often opt for products that don't contain parabens which seems to work better for my sensitive skin & hair to begin with. ;)

Hi Jen, how do you like this Lorac palette? I purchased about 2 months ago but the jury's still out. Since you recently reviewed theBalm's Nude Tude, I wondered if you planned on reviewing the Lorac Pro as well? This video is the first that I've seen you use it so I wondered if it was new for you as well. Thanks!

Your look was one of my favourites ^^. I especially love the pop of purple, it's soehow romantic and feminine but not too girly. The background is great here btw, was the first thing that I noticed, I've been loving your new set ups lately, a lot!